Nordic slow cooker beef and root vegetable stew
June 29, 2026 · 1 min read
A slow-cooked beef and root vegetable stew is comfort food across the Nordic countries, where long winters and hardy roots have always made one-pot braises the sensible thing to cook. This is a whole-food version built on beef, carrots, parsnips, and potatoes, finished — as so many Nordic dishes are — with a generous handful of dill. The slow cooker means it's ready when you walk in the door.
Browning the beef first builds the savory base; from there it's hands-off until dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef chuck, cubed
- 2 tablespoons rapeseed (canola) oil
- 3 carrots, cut in chunks
- 2 parsnips, cut in chunks
- 1 lb potatoes, cubed
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper
- Small bunch fresh dill, to serve
Steps
- Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown it in the oil in batches. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and onion.
- Whisk the broth, tomato paste, and thyme together, pour over, and tuck in the bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on low 8 hours (or high 5), until the beef and roots are tender.
- Remove the bay leaves, season to taste, and serve scattered with plenty of fresh dill.
Notes and swaps
Use a mix of root vegetables — carrots, parsnips, potatoes, swede, celeriac all suit the pot. Chuck is the cut to use for a long braise; it turns tender where leaner cuts dry out. Serve with rye bread to mop up the broth. It tastes even better the next day and freezes well.
Tell Nordic Diet Companion "beef and root vegetable stew" and it reflects how the meal fits your Nordic week — no weighing, no counting.